What Can Never Be
by StarTraveler
Summary: An encounter with a criminal that can get into minds gives Dorian a glimpse into a life that can never be his.


Disclaimer: Almost Human belongs to Warner Brothers

AN: Thanks to Queen Beasts for the beta

Dorian stepped out of his chamber as his charging cycle was completed and was greeted by Rudy.

"Hey Dorian. Have a good night's sleep?"

Dorian inwardly rolled his eyes. After two years of living with Rudy he was used to the man's quirks.

"I don't dream." He had a couple of times throughout the years but it had been the results of malfunctions. "But I'm fine, Rudy. Thank you."

"You sure about that? You've seemed down lately."

"Rudy." Dorian was not interested in having the same old conversation. He was a DRN, an android created to be completely human-like, and had the misfortune of being in love with his human partner John Kennex, who was currently dating Valerie Stahl, another officer in the same precinct, and had been for the last month.

"You need to tell him Dorian. DRNS have come a long way in the last three years, both you and John led the campaign for DRNS to have the same rights as humans and succeeded."

"He's with Valerie.."

"Not from what I've been hearing. Word is John was never serious about her and she and Richard Paul are getting close."

"Rudy, stop it, please." Dorian was rapidly getting annoyed.

"Stop what?" They turned to see John walking up to them.

"Everything all right, Dorian?" John looked concerned.

"Its fine," Dorian replied evenly. "Guess I woke up on the wrong side of the bed so, to speak."

The great thing about John Kennex is how quickly he got the hint about things, but he didn't pry.

"The Captain wants to see us. Another DRN and another MX got attacked last night."

"Let's go." Dorian replied.

A few minutes later they stood in Captain Maldanado's office. For the last two months an assailant had been able to overpower DRNS and MXS and was able to interface with them.

"There was nothing to go on as the brains of the MXS had been completely fried and no data could be retrieved," the captain was saying. "The DRNS were too traumatized to speak and all their data was scrambled."

The two attacks have the same MO as the area where he or she has been operating has a club for DRNS near the wall. The MXS were on patrol and separated from their human partners at the time to help question witnesses about crimes they've seen."

"So you want to use me to draw them out," Dorian finished.

"That isn't safe for Dorian," John broke in, "You've seen what happened to the others."

"Kennex you'll be outside with a waiting unit. Dorian you have an internal alert system which can be activated when someone tries to access you, and I want Rudy to install some extra walls that'll hopefully slow the assailant down. We want to begin the undercover mission in three days."

"Understood," Dorian replied and left with John after the Captain dismissed them.

"I don't like this," John said. "You're not just a robot to me you're my partner and I can feel comfortable saying I consider you my best friend."

Dorian felt moved. John had come a long way in the last three years; he was not prone to anger as easily. The snarkiness had lessened but it was always a part of John Kennex's character anyway.

Of course John being able to kill Anna, the woman responsible for so much pain, had likely helped as well.

"John, I'm a cop I know the risks. I'll be fine. Let's go see Rudy for the installation."

After the procedure John wanted to go get some noodles and when he was nearly done eating a call about a jewelry store robbery came in. They returned to the car and got there quickly since it was only fifteen minutes away.

"There's two suspects that fled into the back alley," John concluded after they had been inspecting the crime scene for a while. "Let's split up, but be careful Dorian."

"You to, John."

A picture of the suspects from the store camera was downloaded to John's phone and sent also to Dorian's data bank.

They split up and Dorian soon caught sight of a suspect; a white male with a long blond ponytail. Dorian could tell by the way this person moved that he was an android.

"Police, freeze!" he commanded, drawing out his weapon as the perp did just that, Dorian could see the piercing blue eyes. Dorian approached slowly. "You are under arrest."

"I knew if I attacked enough DRNS and MXS you would come."

Before Dorian could react or even process the words the bot leapt at him and knocked him down, jamming a needle like device into his neck.

"Nigel Vaughn says hello."

Dorian screamed as he felt electricity invade his mind and his vision swam with many colors. Then there was nothing...

Dorian bolted awake, his heart pounding as the nightmare continued to assault him. He was breathing hard. He was in his charging chamber. Someone quickly ran into the room. It was John.

"Dorian, you all right, love?"

Dorian felt memory return to him, "It's July 2061," he stated.

John looked worried, "That's right, you had that nightmare again didn't you?"

Dorian nodded, "I hate it."

John embraced him. "I do to, love," he said nd kissed him gently.

Dorian melted into his husband's embrace and gave himself up to John's skillful lips. Even after ten years he couldn't believe John was actually his husband.

A sharp kick drew both of their attentions and John gently put his hand on Dorian's stomach, as he was five months pregnant.

"Its all right son," John told the little boy inside of Dorian. "Papa had a bad dream."

"I don't know how I let you talk me into these type of situations." Dorian muttered.

"I'm just so damn charming" John replied grinning.

"Watch your language mister, there's a baby in the room."

"Sorry, I try." They kissed again.

"Ew, gross" A little voice said and they slowly pulled apart to see their two older kids, eight year old Jason and five year old Melissa.

Jason had John's eye and hair color, Melissa had John's hair but Dorian's blue eyes. Their skin tone was a combination of both parents.

Everyday Dorian silently thanked his creator Nigel Vaughn for the artificial uterus that had been installed in him, which wasn't known until they learned he was pregnant. Apparently it had been designed to activate when a man's sperm had entered his body.

Vaughn had thought of everything.

Just then a calico kitten came in. Melissa had found her two days ago and after much pleading from both her and Jason, John had relented. Melissa totally had John wrapped around her little finger.

"Jason and I decided to name her rainbow," Melissa told them proudly.

"Good choice," Dorian replied.

"Who wants pancakes?" John asked.

"We do!" Both kids raced to the kitchen. Dorian felt himself soar with happiness. He never thought life could feel so complete, but John and their kids did just that.

John squeezed Dorian's hand, "No more bad dreams."

Suddenly John's vision went dark.

Dorian came to and found that he was staring at the ceiling with Rudy and John staring at him. "Thank goodness you woke up," Rudy said.

"Where's Jason and Melissa?"

"You're confused Dorian. You've been out for three days."

"It's not 2061?" Dorian asked.

"No, 2051" Rudy told him. "When the droid interfaced with you it created a world of illusion. The safe wall I put in created a feedback loop which broke the connection just like I hoped it would."

"The suspects?"

"There was only one, just the droid. The other was a hologram, John found the device then hurried to find you. He got there after the connection was severed."

"What happened to the droid?"

"He activated some sort of self-destruct program when he saw me," John said. "We can't get nothing from his data port."

"Before I shut down, he told me Vaughn said hello," Dorian told them.

"I'll tell Maldanado to put extra patrols along the wall." John hurried out of the lab.

"We need you to take it easy Dorian," said Rudy when he was gone. "I need to run extra scans on you."

Dorian was stunned as he felt wetness on his cheeks and realized they were tears. "it was so real, Rudy."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I was married to John, I was loved by him, and we had kids. Now I'm here and I feel like everything has been stolen. I feel loss like I've never felt before."

"I'm sorry, Dorian. Thee only way I can help is by erasing the memories that the droid put in."

"You can do that?"

Rudy looked insulted. "There's nothing I can't do."

"Then do it. It's the only way I can go on and be around John without any more pain. I love a man I can never have."

"We'll do it tonight after John has left to go home."

Dorian nodded, relieved. He had received a glimpse into a life that could never be his. He wanted so much of what he could never have and if he kept those memories he knew it would break him.

Dorian lay down on the table and let himself mourn for the family that never was.


End file.
